Match Pictures | Matches: 2023 – 2024
Trivia
- KO: 19:30; Tuesday, Celtic TV Only
- James Forrest’s Testimonial, well deserved. Guard of honour given before kick off.
- Athletic Club are from Bilbao, Spain.
- James Forrest chose two charities to benefit from the match @KilbrydeHospice and @FoundationCFC.
- James Forrest record to date at Celtic: 𝟰𝟲𝟳 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝟭𝟬𝟮 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝟭𝟬𝟭 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝟭𝟭 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝟲 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗰𝘂𝗽𝘀, 5 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗽𝘀, 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭-𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞
- Bilbao officials lay flowers in front of Billy McNeill state in tribute and honour to him.
- First game at Celtic Park this season. League campaign starts on Saturday.
- Carter-Vickers returns after surgery and long absence.
- Green Brigade absent from this match! Some online wits claiming they were out watching the newly released Barbie movie!
- Home Debuts for various players
- Summer Friendlies
- Transfers :
- In: Odin Holm (£2.5m Vålerenga); Marco Tilio (1.4m from Australia); Iwata (converted to perm from loan); Yang Hyun-jun (£2m from Gangwon); Western City Wanderers centre-half Alex Bonetig is on trial with Celtic; Celtic have signed Legia Warsaw centre-back Maik Nawrocki for £4.3m; Kwon (850k from Busan IPark)
- Out: Barkas (freed), Ronan Ferns (Brighton 250k), Ewan Otoo (free), Tsoanela Letsosa to @LommelSKOff (free), Mooy (retired), Adam Montgomery joins Fleetwood Town on a season-long loan, Jota to Al ittihad (25m), Adam Brooks move to Scottish Championship side @ICTFC; Tsoanelo Letsosa moved to Lommel SK; Urhoghide (to Amiens in France);
- Reports (in): Fenerbahçe deal for Dominik Livakovic is off so maybe Celtic are still in the running;
- Reports (out):various clubs after young Rocco Vata; Tete to make a decision, with Brendan Rodgers keen to bring the Brazilian to Celtic but Fenerbahce leading the race for the winger;
- Ex Celt Kieran Tierney reported to stay at Arsenal and fight for his place.
- Rocco Vata snapped up by high-profile football agency CAA Base, with the 18-year-old joining some of the biggest names in world football on its books. Concerns he may jump ship like some others.
- Cricket: England & Australia draw series 2-2 so Aussies retain the Ashes.
- Celebrated & respected Celtic historian David Potter (1948-2023) has passed away, RIP.
- Ex-Celt Benny Rooney has passed away, (1943-2023), RIP
Summary
“There’s been so many highs, so many trophies and so many great games. It’s an unbelievable club.”
James Forrest
“Good luck to James Forrest tonight in his well deserved testimonial. It’s rare these days for any player to show such commitment to one club. He’s been a tremendous player for Celtic ”
Chris Sutton
Athletic Club @Athletic_en : James Forrest. Privilege to be part of your testimonial match.
E-Tims @ETimsNet · 3m Tend not to read too much into pre-season games. More about fitness & shape etc but….that young Celtic team in the second half were outstanding. High energy, pass, move & press. A joy to watch. Oh lead the line brilliantly. Brendan must be delighted with what he’s seen. Competition is great. Players all good technically AND it usually takes many weeks or months for young players to settle in. That was a joy to watch.
KDS: Absolutely night & day to the first half & apologies to the 2nd half back 4 & Bain Our new additions looks more than able to contribute & still very early days for them as well. Holm in particular looks like he’ll have no problem getting in the side regularly. Definitely feel better now. There’s going to be a change of style this season. It’s a natural part of changing manager. The guys who were starting every game under Ange may need to make some adjustments if they want to play every game under Rodgers.
A big great night overall for James Forrest…. Respect to his wonderful stalwart.
Highland__Paddy @Highland__paddy · 30m First half was a tough watch some players looked well-off it . Second half ? Completely different story , Bernabei and Abada linked up well , Holm looked tidy and Oh was impressive. Good crowd there to show appreciation for Jamesy , well done to those who made the effort
Teams
CELTIC: Siegrist, Tomoki, Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki, Taylor, Kwon, McGregor, Hatate, Maeda, Forrest, Kyogo.
2ND HALF TEAM: Bain, Ralston, Starfelt, Scales, Bernabei, Holm, Turnbull, O’Riley, Yang, Forrest (Abada 49), Oh.
Subs not used: Hart, Haksabanovic, Kelly, Welsh, McPherson.
Goals:Hatate 37, Bernabei 66, Turnbull 69
Assists:
ATHLETIC CLUB: Simon, Vivian (Equliuz 79), Paredes Nolaskoain 65), Vesga (Herrera 65), Williams (Garcia de Albeniz 79), Muniain (Marton 79), Martinez (Malcom 79), Oscar de Marcos (Rincon 69), Villalibre (Garcia 46), Ruiz de Galarreta (Guruzeta 79), Gomez (Prados 46).
Subs: Morcillo, Agirrezabala.
Goals:Gomez 2, Muniain 37
Assists:
Ref:
Att:
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Match Links
Articles
James Forrest: Testimonial was for everyone on my journey
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2023/august/01/James-Forrest–Testimonial-was-for-everyone-in-my-journey/
By Ryan Maher
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01 Aug 2023, 9:52 pm
James Forrest has pretty much had the Celtic career that all of us fans would have wished for ourselves.
A one-club man, ‘chalking up 467 appearances, scoring 101 goals and winning 22 trophies to date, with only two players lifting more, it’s a list of achievements that not many can rival.
His testimonial match against Athletic Club, which produced an impressive 3-2 victory in the final pre-season match, was a well-earned moment for the winger.
Not one to usually hog the limelight, Forrest admits he was nervous leading into the game where all the pre-match build-up was on him, but he was delighted with how the night panned out.
Speaking to Celtic TV after the match, he said: “The last couple of days I was quite nervous and I’m not usually like that for any game.
“Actually getting to the stadium tonight made me feel so much better and just being amongst the boys and seeing family and friends was incredible.
“Right from the start, from getting to the stadium, I just really enjoyed it.
‘Everyone is saying it’s my night but it’s the effort my family have had to put in, which is incredible throughout the years.’
“I couldn’t have done it without them and everyone else really close to me.
“I feel it’s everyone’s night – the staff, the players, the fans, I can’t do it without everyone and I’m delighted with how the night went.”
Away from the Forrest celebrations, it was also an important match in the pre-season preparations, taking on a strong side that finished eighth in La Liga last season.
It proved to be the perfect warm-up to Saturday’s league opener, with Celtic coming from behind twice to win 3-2 through goals from Reo Hatate, Alexandro Bernabei and David Turnbull.
This campaign will be Forrest’s 15th in the first-team and he can’t wait to do it all over again as the Celts look to hold on to their domestic honours.
He added: “I came off when we were 2-1 down but the second-half team did really well and everything about tonight I thoroughly enjoyed.
“It’s amazing, I’ve really enjoyed pre-season, we were away for a good couple of weeks.
“I’m 32 but I’m still really enjoying it. It’s all I know and it’s a great place to be and I want to keep doing as much as I can for the club.”
James Forrest testimonial ends in impressive victory over Athletic Club
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2023/august/01/james-forrest-testimonial-ends-in-impressive-victory-over-athletic-club/
By Ryan Maher
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01 Aug 2023, 9:27 pm
James Forrest Testimonial
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
Celtic Park, Glasgow
CELTIC… 3
(Hatate 37, Bernabei 66, Turnbull 69)
ATHLETIC CLUB… 2
(Gomez 2, Muniain 37)
Celtic ended their pre-season and capped off a special night for James Forrest in his Testimonial match with an impressive 3-2 victory over Athletic Club at Celtic Park.
With the league opener just four days away, two separate Celtic XIs in the first-half and second-half fought back from 1-0 down and then 2-1 down to head into the new campaign on a high, with goals from Reo Hatate, Alexandro Bernabei and David Turnbull.
The pre-match was all about one man as Paradise welcomed James Forrest for this special personal night for the one-club hero.
Coming out last with the captain’s armband with last season’s treble proudly displayed to the Celtic support, Forrest’s stats were read out to signal exactly why he has earned this testimonial.
Since making a goal-scoring debut in May 2010, Forrest has racked up 101 goals in more than 450 appearances and sits joint-third in the all-time honours list with 22 trophies in his cabinet
It was a match and a moment worthy of a club great, but once the game kicked off, it very quickly became an important match for Brendan Rodgers’ side ahead of Saturday’s league opener.
Coming up against a side that narrowly missed out on a European spot in La Liga last season, Athletic Club were set to be a tough and worthwhile opposition.
With only two minutes on the clock, they showed why they are one of Spain’s strongest sides, bringing the party atmosphere down by crashing home the opening goal through Unai Gomez.
Reo Hatate passed up possession deep inside the Celtic half, with the ball landing at the feet of the attacking midfielder and he launched a powerful shot from 25 yards out into the bottom right corner.
The opening 10 minutes were going in the visitor’s favour, but Celtic almost struck back on the 11th but Unai Simon produced a stunning stop to keep Kyogo’s shot out of the bottom left corner after fine set-up work from Reo Hatate.
Athletic were still a threat up the other end and Cameron Carter-Vickers had to make a crucial block on his return to the starting XI to keep Inaki Williams from making it 2-0 on 20 minutes.
Ben Siegrist made a crucial stop four minutes later when Asier Villalibre crashed a shot on target from the edge of the box, and it would prove crucial as Celtic got back into the game on the 37th minute.
Callum McGregor pinched the ball off the Athletic Club midfield and Hatate gathered and with space opening up he drove forward and slammed a left-footed effort into the bottom left corner from 20 yards.
But straight from kick-off, Athletic Club restored the lead. A long ball wasn’t dealt with by Tomoki Iwata at right-back, and Spain international Iker Muniain took advantage, smashing a powerful shot into the top right corner from the left of the box.
Daizen Maeda went close to equalising right on the stroke of half-time after a solo run, but at the break, the visitors had the advantage.
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Celtic came out in the second-half with every player apart from Forrest swapped, but he would only last another four minutes as the number 49 made way on the 49th minute to a rousing Paradise reception.
With the changes, there were home debuts for Hyunjun Yang and Odin Thiago Holm, as the Celtic fans got to see four of their new summer recruits in action.
Celtic came out in the second-half with their new XI playing with real purpose to try and get the equaliser and Alexandro Bernabei almost had his second goal in pre-season but he fired over from 14 yards out after a corner kick fell in his path.
Liel Abada was the man to replace Forrest and nine minutes after coming on he was almost wheeling away in celebration, but Simon produced a stunning one-handed save to keep his perfectly placed curling shot from 25 yards out of the bottom right corner.
The Celtic pressure soon paid off with Bernabei getting his first goal at Celtic Park and second of the pre-season on 66 minutes.
It was a wonderful passing move that was started by the Argentine left-back, playing a lovely ball into David Turnbull on the edge of the box who then found Matt O’Riley and picked out Bernabei having continued his run into the box and he smashed a first-time effort through the legs of the keeper.
Three minutes later and Celtic had the lead for the first time on the night as Turnbull found the net. It was another brilliant attacking move, this time coming down the right through Hyunjun Yang and Anthony Ralston, with the right-back picking out Hyeongyu Oh in the box who laid it back for Turnbull and he smashed it into the back of the net from 12 yards out.
Celtic were playing at an incredible intensity and the crowd were loving what they were witnessing, and they almost had more reasons to cheer on 76 minutes when Bernabei picked out Oh with an inch-perfect cross that the South Korean steered over the bar.
As full-time blew, it was an impressive fight-back, a perfect end to pre-season and a fitting way to mark James Forrest’s Testimonial, with just four days to go until the league season gets underway again.
CELTIC: Siegrist, Tomoki, Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki, Taylor, Kwon, McGregor, Hatate, Maeda, Forrest, Kyogo.
2ND HALF TEAM: Bain, Ralston, Starfelt, Scales, Bernabei, Holm, Turnbull, O’Riley, Yang, Forrest (Abada 49), Oh.
Subs not used: Hart, Haksabanovic, Kelly, Welsh, McPherson.
ATHLETIC CLUB: Simon, Vivian (Equliuz 79), Paredes Nolaskoain 65), Vesga (Herrera 65), Williams (Garcia de Albeniz 79), Muniain (Marton 79), Martinez (Malcom 79), Oscar de Marcos (Rincon 69), Villalibre (Garcia 46), Ruiz de Galarreta (Guruzeta 79), Gomez (Prados 46).
Subs: Morcillo, Agirrezabala.
Green Brigade Absent from James Forrest’s Testimonial Match
https://celtsarehere.com/green-brigade-absent-from-james-forrests-testimonial-match/
By
Aaron Haire –
August 1, 2023
THE prominent Celtic fan group, The Green Brigade, were notably absent from James Forrest’s testimonial match on Tuesday evening when Athletic Club travelled to Celtic Park.
Their non-attendance was marked on a night that was otherwise a celebration of Forrest’s dedication and loyalty to the club.
Some of Bhoys Celtic were at the match, but not in their usual numbers.
Have a look at the North Curve; it’s lying empty!
The Green Brigade and Bhoys Celtic, known for their vibrant support for the team, have not offered an explanation for their conspicuous absence.
However, it should be noted that the Green Brigade had publicly voiced their opposition to the appointment of Brendan Rodgers as Celtic’s manager earlier in June. Whether this disagreement led to their decision to skip the testimonial remains unconfirmed.
Their non-attendance cast a slight shadow on a night that was dedicated to celebrating James Forrest’s illustrious career with the club.
Celtic show two sides on James Forrest’s big day: the sacked quarter-back, trio who shone, absent Green Brigade
Celtic fielded two teams on Tuesday night.
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/celtic-show-two-sides-on-james-forrests-big-day-the-sacked-quarter-back-trio-who-shone-absent-green-brigade-4240160
Andrew Smith
By Andrew Smith
Published 1st Aug 2023, 22:08 BST
Updated 1st Aug 2023, 22:14 BST
Only one player featured in both halves as Brendan Rodgers did so to tune up his squad for the final time before the start of the Premiership season. Of course, that individual was James Forrest on the night of his testimonial when Athletic Club Bilbao were hosted and beaten 3-2 in a topsy-turvy affair. Across it, the Celtic support – minus notably absent ultras group the Green Brigade – offered up their appreciation with genuine warmth to a player who has never courted acclaim, never been a badge-kissing showman, to the detriment of his achievements in being Celtic’s joint-third most decorated player with 22 honours being recognised as befits them.
In some ways his testimonial proved in keeping with his 13-year senior career. He was the centre of attention, and he wasn’t. Forrest departed the encounter in 49 minutes – a nod to shirt number – after a typically diligent display on the back of dealing unflappably with the ceremonial duties of his pre-match guard of honour and on-pitch interview. As simply would not come naturally to him. A different story with his returning manager, who has patently regained the affections of the club’s support in being cheered to the rafters by all in taking his bows in a build-up in which the appearance of the three trophies won under Ange Postecoglou could serve as a reminder of the standards he must main … and which he set in his domestically faultless first spell.
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Alas for the spell of the contest in which Forrest had active involvement – and not because this was so, it should be stressed – Celtic were ragged. Bilbao looked slicker and sharper in holding a 2-1 lead then, sumptuous strikes from Unai Gomez and Iker Munian – in the third and 37th respectively – as they capitalised on Celtic losing the ball in dangerous areas, the latter only seconds after Reo Hatate had weaved into the visitors’ box and curled a precision effort into the far corner.
Celtic’s Alexandro Bernabei celebrates scoring to make it 2-2 with Matt O’Riley during the James Forrest Testimonial match against Athletic Club BIlbao.
Celtic’s Alexandro Bernabei celebrates scoring to make it 2-2 with Matt O’Riley during the James Forrest Testimonial match against Athletic Club BIlbao.
This Celtic XI was two-third first choicers, yet the returning Cameron Carter-Vickers seemed all that stood between the defence and disintegration at times. Recent arrival Kwon Hyeok-kyu so often lost possession and his bearings, it was like watching a quarterback being constantly sacked.
Yet shortly after Liel Abada replaced Forrest – to join a collection of largely back-up players – Celtic suddenly found their rhythm. Their 66th-minute equaliser was the product of the ball being shuttled along as if on the most efficient production line with Alexandro Bernbei both architect and finisher. It was blink-of-an-eye stuff as he slipped the ball to Matt O’Riley, who in turn fed David Turnbull, as the Argentinian timed his run exquisitely to break the defensive line and collect and pass he hammered past Unai Simon. Three minutes later Celtic Park was rocking after Turnbull – a game-changer along with Odin Thiago Holm and O’Riley, as Rodgers interestingly noted afterwards – smashed in a cross from the right delivered by Oh Hyeon-gyu.
Forrest’s name rang round the stadium at the close, and earlier when it was announced across the tannoy that a standard convention on these occasions had been followed with the winger declared the man of the match. He wasn’t that, of course, but has been a man for all manner of ages he has performed with aplomb across in a stellar career.